This invention relates to a housing for a computer that enhances processor cooling by ambient air and more specifically to a partition, vent, and fan system that causes cooling air to impinge first upon the most heat-sensitive component of the computer.
Low profile, rack mountable, electronic devices, such as computers and servers, contain heat-generating components that are particularly heat sensitive, that is, they operate poorly or fail to operate if they are above a certain temperature. The central processing unit (CPU) is typically one such device.
Most conventional CPUs are cooled by providing a flow path for air through the housing of the device and an internal fan for moving the air along the path and over the CPU. The air received by the CPU has typically already been heated by other components in the device, such that the cooling performance of the air on the CPU is somewhat dependent upon the heat generated by components upstream in the flow path. CPU operation may be adversely affected by adding heat-generating components upstream or by driving the upstream components to higher power consumption.
Typically, cooling air is drawn in through an air intake grille in the front of the housing and exhausted through an outlet in the back or side of the housing. Although it is preferable that the heat-sensitive components are located nearest the grille, it is not always possible. For example, it is often necessary to mount input-output devices, such as CD-ROM or tape drives, near the front of the housing so that they are accessible to the user. In some cases, the most heat-sensitive component may have to be mounted far from the air intake grille.
The problem is exacerbated is very low profile devices, such as rack mountable devices, where there is high density of components and limited space for cooling air flow path.
Therefore, there has been a need to provide improved cooling to an electronic device having a particularly heat-sensitive component, particularly to a low profile rack-mountable computer.
The present invention is a housing for a computer or similar electronic device with both heat-generating and heat-sensitive components, and for which the standard air cooling is not sufficient.
The housing is separated by a partition into a lower compartment, enclosing the electronic components, and an upper compartment for receiving cooling air for the heat-sensitive component, such as the CPU. The partition includes a vent that allows cool air to flow from the upper compartment and impinge upon the CPU without first passing over heat-generating components. A fan for moving the cooling air may be attached to the top of the CPU, such as by mounting onto the CPU heatsink.
The upper compartment includes air inlets for receiving ambient air. Typically, CPU cooling airflow joins the standard airflow from the front grille and exits the housing via an exhaust outlet near the rear of the housing. An additional advantage of providing air inlets near the cover of the device, in the case of a desktop computer, is that the inlets are less likely to be blocked accidentally by other items.
A computer may be initially provided with this housing with enhanced cooling, or a standard computer enclosure may be retro-fitted by addition of a partition with vent inside the standard enclosure so as to separate the enclosure into compartments